Stranger
by LePetitLapin
Summary: Even though I'm surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in the name of Sithis, within the walls of a place I've come to call home ever since my initiation, I feel like I don't know this place at all. I feel like a stranger. -Set during the Purification quest-


Finally played Oblivion after a really long time. It felt good. :P I hope this is good; it's my first story that's Elder Scrolls related. x)

Enjoy. :D

* * *

I'm not entirely positive that I hear Lucien correctly.

I'm tempted to ask him to repeat himself, but there's something nagging me in the back of my brain that tells me I had indeed heard him right. My stomach lurches at the thought, and I know I'll be throwing up my breakfast. But there's no time for that. No, Lucien sounds like he wants this next job done immediately, and so I'll get it done. If I must vomit, I can save it for later. Though I'll admit, I want to get this over with quickly as well. The more time I wait, the more time regret has to seep its way into my veins. I can't have that.

My horse Valen seems to know there's something wrong with me. She gives me an almost pensive stare as I dismount her at the stables right outside of Cheydinhal.

"I'm fine," I mutter to her. The stable owner shoots me a strange look, but it goes ignored. That's the least of my problems at the moment.

I'm not surprised Valen doesn't look the least bit convinced when I leave her.

* * *

I enter the Sanctuary via the well, like I always do. As soon as I hit the ground, the Dark Guardian walks past me, sword and shield held at its sides. The others aren't in the main room of the Sanctuary right now, but I can feel their presence. My steps are lighter, more cautious, as I walk through the halls, like the place is foreign to me. And in a sense, it is. Even though I'm surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in the name of Sithis, within the walls of a place I've come to call home ever since my initiation, I feel like I don't know this place at all. I feel like a stranger.

I walk down toward Vicente's room first, but on my way there, I'm stopped by M'raaj-Dar. I haven't been on good terms with him for some time. He didn't favor me much when I was new. I don't talk to him a lot, but when I do, it's only to buy supplies from him or if I need advice for a contract (if he's nice enough to give me some).

"Ah! There you are!"

I glance at the Khajiit as he walks over to me. Is he smiling?

"Look," he begins, "I've been thinking, and… well, I guess I just want to say sorry for the way I've treated you in the past. I mean, look at you! The things you've accomplished! You've obviously proven yourself a valuable member of this Sanctuary. So let's start over, shall we? I know from now on, you and I are going to be great friends!"

At hearing his apology, I don't know whether I should yell or curl up in a ball and cry. I guess he's just like me: harboring the smallest amount of care for the other. Because no matter what, we're assassins together, brother and sister, and nothing can get in the way of that.

I force a smile onto my face and hope it looks believable. "Thanks, M'raaj-Dar. That means a lot."

His own smile widens before I bid him goodbye.

* * *

Vicente's in his room reading a book. I walk in quietly, but I'm sure he knows I've entered. I pretend to look for food as I walk up to the table, picking up an apple. It's not poisonous. At least, I don't think it is. I'd rather not find out. I made it a habit not to eat any apples in the Sanctuary, just to be safe.

I try not to make my stare obvious as I glimpse over at the vampire. I remember reading the note sitting on his desk about how he has an allergic reaction to garlic. I don't have any garlic with me, but I can always go back to the surface to buy some.

No, that won't do. That prolongs the time this is going to take, and I don't want to have to spend much on it, lest I lose the courage to do it at all. I finger the dagger sitting in my belt, and now Vicente looks up at me, like he can sense what I'm doing.

"Is there something bothering you?" he questions.

It takes surprising restraint for me to not gush everything out to him. "N-No, everything is fine."

Vampire ability or no, he can tell I'm not being honest, but he leaves it at that. He knows I appreciate my privacy. "All right, but if there's anything you need, you can always come and see me."

Knowing that I won't be able to come and see him anymore bothers me.

I turn around and pause. I draw out my dagger as quietly as possible, but it makes a small noise as it slides out of its sheathe, and I know Vicente is alerted.

"Tourmaline, what are you—"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence, since I vault straight over the table and drive the dagger up to the hilt into his chest. His eyes widen when he glances down at the handle, and he looks back up at me as life leaves him. I purse my lips to keep even one tear from falling, and I mouth "I'm sorry" in case a troubled sob leaves should I say it out loud.

He's dead before he can say something.

I retake my dagger, now stained in crimson, and put it away, exiting the room and closing the doors. I lay out a plan of how I should take down each member, one by one: Ocheeva is next, then Antoinetta Marie, Telaendril, Teinaava, M'raaj-Dar (if I have the courage to face him) and finally, Gogron.

* * *

Ocheeva is killed with a few slashes of my dagger, and I give Antoinetta Marie the poisoned apple I kept in my satchel, which she took with a smile and a thank you. I wonder if she's ever been suspicious of any apples she comes across like I do. It seems as if that's her undoing. I find her dead on the ground in the living quarters in a few minutes. Schemer doesn't act like anything's wrong.

I kill Telaendril and Teinaava while they sleep. The only other witness is Schemer, and even if he could talk, I know he wouldn't say anything. I trust animals. It's probably the Bosmer blood in me.

M'raaj-Dar looks at me worriedly when I approach him with my dagger drawn. I can only shake my head and say a quiet sorry before killing him. I would've cried for him if time allowed it. We didn't have the chance to really be friends now, but one day we would. In the Void.

The last one to be rid of is Gogron. He's been in the training room the whole time, so he knows nothing of what's transpired. I like Gogron. He's always been so… cheerful, if that's even a word you can associate with a Dark Brotherhood assassin. In his case, however, it's an exception. Therefore, when he turns around and smiles at me, my grip on my dagger loosens. I don't want to do this. No, M'raaj-Dar was enough.

Gogron is big, and his armor is heavy. I'm light on my feet and usually fight from afar. There's no room here to be able to shoot arrows from a good distance, and I've officially labeled myself as an idiot for not thinking to bring a larger blade with me. It would've weighed me down, yes, but as Gogron stands before me and mentions a special assignment Lucien gave him once, the burden the blade would've possessed be damned. I'll just have to work around that and hope I don't get myself killed in the process.

He's a challenge. He really is. The axe he swings sets anything it touches on fire, and there's evidence of that on my armor, where spots have been blackened from him hitting it. One is right above my chest. A little higher and he would've chopped my head straight off. But now everyone is dead, and though I'm weary from the fight with Gogron, I find the strength to heft myself up the ladder and back up to the surface where the Cheydinhal citizens greet me like I haven't just killed seven people. Well, what they don't know won't hurt them.

* * *

I'm mounting Valen and am just about to set off for Fort Farragut when a small child runs up to me, holding a basket full of apples. She holds one up to me and says, "Would you like to buy an apple, pretty lady?"

The compliment doesn't flatter me at all, but I smile anyway and grab a couple of gold coins out from my satchel. I bend down and hand them to her before taking the apple. "Thank you." I don't turn around to see where she runs off after she nods.

As Valen takes the route to the Fort, I glance down at the apple still in my hand and take a bite of it. This one isn't poisonous. I know that.


End file.
